Sept. 23, 2007

Box Score

BETHLEHEM, PA - Kristin Hextall scored a pair of goals and Traci DePasquale netted the game-winner just before the half to lift the La Salle Women's Soccer team to a 3-1 victory over Lehigh Sunday afternoon in non-conference action at Ulrich Sports Complex.

Hextall put the Explorers on the board in the first minute of play, heading a free kick from Jenna Guagenti into the net just 37 seconds into the game, tying the mark that she set in La Salle's first game of 2007 for fastest goal.

The lead was short-lived as the Mountain Hawks were awarded a penalty kick after an Explorer foul in the box. Liz Carlos converted on the shot, beating La Salle goalie Amy Grant to the lower left of the goal tying the game just 1:39 into the match, but that would be the only goal allowed by Grant in the contest.

Four minutes later, La Salle almost scored on another free kick, but Lauren Barker's header off of another Guagenti free kick went wide left. The Mountain Hawks would respond with a scoring chance of their own three minutes later, when Amy Mastromonaco's 30-yard strike hit the crossbar.

The Explorers eventually took the lead just four minutes before the half on DePasquale's fifth tally of the year. She scored in a wide-open net, the result of a Dana Giordano shot that went through Lehigh goalie Julie Kafka's hands and to DePasquale's foot.

La Salle came close to pushing its lead to two a minute later when Melanie Gamble's shot was saved by a diving Kafka right up against the left post.

Lehigh (4-2-2) had several scoring chances that could have tied the game in the second half. Glynn Fitzer's 25-yard shot was saved by Grant and a header by Fitzer crossed by Jen Fetsick sailed high.

Hextall would score her team-leading seventh goal of the year in the 74th minute. Started by a Heatherrae Steadman cross, Gamble headed the ball towards the top of the box, where Hextall settled the ball, turned and fired, beating Mountain Hawk goalie Lauren Mains, who replaced Kafka at the half.

Grant won her first game of 2007 making five saves in the contest, while Kafka suffered the loss. The Explorers ended the Mountain Hawks five-game unbeaten streak and handed them their first home defeat of the year.

With her numbers Sunday, Hextall now has 25 career goals, tied for third all-time at La Salle with Krista Lee (2000-03); 63 career points, fourth all-time; and 179 career shots, second all-time.

La Salle (5-3-0) will start Atlantic 10 Conference play on Friday, when the Explorers host defending A-10 Champion Saint Louis - the Billikens first trip to La Salle - at 7 PM.